In banks, trust and loan companies and the like, the flow of customers to the various tellers or wickets is usually controlled by the use of a system of portable rails or ropes. Such rails or ropes are supported at spaced intervals by posts which may be simply arranged on the floor of the area in front of the customer wickets. Usually, the lines or ropes and posts are laid out in such a manner that a queue of customers will form, often in a zigzag fashion, and customers will move one at a time from a suitable gateway at the end of the control system, to whichever teller is free.
One of the problems in customer control systems of this type, is that the bank or similar institution will usually have provided one or more cheque writing desks around the walls of the space. The flow of customers will then normally take place from the entrance door, to the cheque writing desk, and then back to the entry to the customer control rail system. Sometimes this results in confusion of the customers, and in other cases, the customers will move on criss-crossing paths across the customer area of the bank with consequent inconvenience. This is particularly so where the line control system occupies a substantial area of the customer area of the bank, so that customers are obliged to walk around the outside of the area to and fro to get to the cheque writing desks, and then back to the entry point.
It is also common practice in banks, trust companies and the like to provide displays of bank advertising material, and in some cases displays of advertising material belonging to prominent customers of the bank. Bank advertising will usually offer a variety of customer services such as consumer loans, safety deposit boxes, savings plans, charge plate facilities, and the like, which the customer may wish to discuss with the teller, or some other employee.
It is, therefore, desirable that the advertising material shall be so positioned that the customer may read it while his attention is not distracted elsewhere.
In the past, such advertising displays have usually been either erected directly on the tellers wicket, or else on a wall of the customer area of the bank, or on free standing displays. In either case, the customer, when at that location, is usually engaged in either making entries in his pass book, writing a cheque or else dealing with the teller.
He is not, therefore, in a position to pay too much attention to the advertising material itself.
In addition, banks have encountered difficulties encouraging customers to make out their own cheques or deposits and it is desireable to facilitate this procedure to save the time spent at the teller's wicket.